Cats and Crinoline
by Julia Fulia
Summary: What happens after Inej Ghafa escapes her finishing school fate in Vicorian London and meets Kaz Brekker, a gentleman with secrets.
1. Chapter 1

Inej was not your typical lady. She didn't have golden hair, her eyes weren't blue and her favourite pastime wasn't sewing. No, she was the exact opposite, raven hair, dark brown eyes and, of course, her beloved knives. She loved and embraced herself. However her parents back in the Indian colony felt differently. So here she was, at the hell that was a British finishing school hundreds of miles from home. Her last week here had tainted her self confidence. So she kept quiet and to herself, trying not to suffocate on the pink and blue frills of the other girls.

She didn't like it here, which was obvious. And keeping quiet didn't always work when her dark skin stood out so much in a crowd. The prim and proper girls with their staged sentiments and rather blatant racism were perhaps the worst part, so she was going to leave, in the middle of the night while no one was watching. She would creep out the window and slide down the drain pipe. She didn't know where to go with no money or family in London, but she would figure that out later. For now she just had to get out. People would gossip about where the weird girl had gone in the middle of the night. Who took her? _Or_ did she vanish into thin air with her _oriental powers_?

Sliding down the decorative stone column built into façade of the building was easy. Inej moved her hand to her shoulder where her knives were safely tucked in their sheaths. They were the only things she owned that where truly hers. She was not a lady, she was out at night without a companion, she liked knives, and she would have to work to survive. She was not a lady and for the first time in a week it didn't bother her.

She was heading to the workhouse. She was dooming herself to the life of a pauper but the festering diseases were more appealing than the high society gossip. She was Inej. If she couldn't survive a finishing school she would fight her way through, even join a show of curios. She would make it.

Rounding the next corner she froze. Not too far in the distance of the alley was a dark figure. The moon shone from behind the man. A long coat splayed out behind him; even from where Inej stood she could tell it was well fitted. A fashionable top hat perched on his head as he walked with a cane. Moonlight reflected off the metal handle, in sharp contrast to the young man's slim, bony hands. A distinct thud ricocheted off the cobble stones that paved the alley with every step. With a jerk Inej instinctively pulled herself back around the corner. What was a man who looked to be quite well off doing travelling in the middle of the night in London on foot?

She knew she shouldn't have, but curiosity got the better of her and she pulled herself onto the roof of the closest house using the window frame. She wanted to know what he was doing. Plus, she had some time to kill. It was the middle of the night and if she was being honest she didn't know exactly where to go anyway. She would follow this man around a bit, wait until sunrise and ask the first person she sees where the workhouse is.


	2. Chapter 2

She noticed he was cleanly shaved, which was odd given that beards where _the fashion_. He was a young, sharp featured man with short, raven black hair and a rather… unconventional, haircut, she watched as the mysterious stranger took a glistening silver pocket watch from a pocket on the inside of his coat and take one swift glance at it before putting it back. He straightened himself and adjusted his cloths.

Inej shifted on her feet.

The stranger froze.

 _Oh crap_.

Jesper, per usual, was not early. That was fine. For the next 3 minutes and 13 seconds that was fine. You never could count on Jesper with timing as he seemed to repel watches. But you could count on him with a rifle and that would be crucial to the night's plans. It was a relatively simples task, that could, and would, be performed in relative grace. The prize is a dazzlingly spectacular solid gold necklace entirely smothered in diamonds. Kaz didn't like the necklace, it was tacky, but he couldn't bear to let the opportunity to take it pass. It was, after all, smothered in diamonds.

Checking the time again, 2 minutes and 43 seconds before jasper would be too late. The issue with Jesper and watches…

Something had moved. Kaz was sure of it. It was probably a rat, or any other unholy thing that could be found in a corner in Ketterdam, but years of experience had taught him not to let his guard down, especially when shadows seem to stir.

He considered turning. She considered making a run for it.

Then decided not to.

He considered throwing a dagger. She considered throwing a dagger.

Then decided not to.

Jasper decided to arrive.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey! Kaz! I was on my way like an hour early but…" Jesper panted as he rounded the corner, his voice quivered on the last word as he watched Kaz for the stare that would announce his premature death.

On the way here he was leafing through the highlights of his eventful life, but found way too many memories involving the walk of shame that followed every trip to a casino. Jesper couldn't understand why the gambling dens couldn't just share some of their money. Not like they need all of it. So he went to find out and wound up a little late. The only thing that prevented him from staying was the thought of the demon himself, enough to have gotten Jesper right out of there.

To Jesper's great relief the demon of his nightmares didn't even turn to look at him when he rounded the corner and narrowly missed a lamppost, instead Kaz seemed to be focused entirely on the chimney of an all-too-ordinary looking house. Jesper followed his gaze and stared at the all-too-ordinary chimney. It was a well used brick chimney attached to a well used brick house. Everything about the house was obscenely normal and mundane, except that Kaz was staring at it, with the ever present, Kaz brand scheming face.

Inej squeezed her eyes shut and tilted her head up toward the rarely starry London sky as she crouched behind the chimney and pretended she wasn't there. More than ever she felt the very real threat that she would be swallowed alive by this city's darker corners. More than ever she wished and prayed for her saints to finally listen to her just this once. Someone was talking to the man around the corner, but she could still feel his burning gaze searching for the corner of fabric that was certainly giving away her existence.

Jesper knew better then to speak in these situations and stayed quiet, joining the search for abnormalities in the chimney. Curiously, Kaz tore his gase from the chimney and walked as confidently and relaxed as ever across the street and turned back to look at the building behind Jesper.

"Come out before I send someone out to get you."

The dry bored voice sent all the dread held up over Inej by her shaky dam build on hope and faith to come crashing down on her fragile, all too human body. _They can't see me,_ was pulsing through her veins like cool water over sun burnt skin. Calming and healing. She would be fine.

"I can see you."

Never mind.


End file.
